even more surprising news on the house side today. today, a bipartisan announcement from four members of the house on gun safety reform. democrats carolyn maloney and elijah cummings, and scott riggel, unveiling a bipartisan gun protection act. when is the last time bipartisan anything came out of the house? the act would do two things, crack down on straw purchasers, so people who can buy guns because they pass a background check, but then they give the guns to a person who can't pass a background check, it would make it illegal. it may surprise you but that is not against the law. so it would change that, the bipartisan would make gun trafficking a federal crime, making it punishable by up to 20 years in prison. now, that is it some right? straw purchases and making it a federal crime. these are not the world's most ambitious proposals?

but the bipartisan supporting it? from the house, that is amazing, and on guns, it is amazing. not first yet an assault weapons ban, a mandating ban, something supported even by republican senators and by 92% of the public. but it is something and bipartisan and it is new. the beltway common wisdom that nothing could ever be done about guns for another day, we'll keep you posted. did the white house go to far? a bipartisan group of senators want answers. if the government goes through with a sequester, expect a million people to lose their jobs. medical research halted and much more. plus, a nasty storm headed towards the northeast. a major college hoops upset and

lindsey vaughn suffers a terrible injury. very good wednesday morning to you. nice to see you this morning. the white house coming under fire following new information on the use of unmanned predator drones. it comes a day after nbc news uncovered a confidential justice department memo on the program. the report shows deadly strikes can be ordered against u.s. citizens found to be operational leaders of al qaeda. now some members of congress including many democrats are expressing concern the administration is going too far. white house officials defended the program. >> we conduct those strikes because they are necessary to mitigate on going actual threats, stop plots, prevent future attacks and, again, save american lives. the strikes are legal. they're ethical and wise. >> drones have been used to take out more than 400 terrorist targets in pakistan and the middle east. the program is expected to be a focal point tomorrow when meetings begin for john brennan, his nominee to head the senate or the cia, rather.

an earthquake hits the south pacific. the 8.0 quake struck near the solomon islands. it generated a tsunami wave three feet high and five people were killed before evacuated in fiji and australia. warnings that were issued have been canceled. some homes were seriously damaged by the waves. as the young victim of the alabama hostage standoff celebrates his 6th birthday, we're learning more about his rescue. kirk gregory has details. >> reporter: the fbi release the these photos of the suspect's property along with more detailed information about the rescue of ethan. nbc news learned as a result of on going negotiations, the kidnapper, jimmy lee dike was expecting delivery of additional comfort items. four members of the team approached the bunker seen in this picture and opened the hatch. dropping in a flash bang device

to distract dike. zikz was disoriented but managed to fire off one shot. the hostage team shot and killed dike then rescued ethan. federal investigators say they found explosive devices, one inside the bunker, and one in the ventilation pipe shown in this photo. ethan spent the night in the hospital monday after the dramatic rescue and is now said to be physically fine. >> he was running around the hospital room, putting sticky notes on everyone that was in there, eating a turkey sandwich and watching sponge bob. >> tuesday night in midland city, the community came together for an early birthday celebration. ethan turns 6 on wednesday. kirk gregory, nbc news. senate democrats on a retreat in maryland will get a visit from the president today to rally support for his second term budget including a request to delay spending cuts that kick in on march 1st. tracie potts has reaction from

republicans and the latest nonpartisan budget forecast. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. the president says in order to delay the $85 billion in cuts coming at the end of this month, congress needs to pass yet another temporary fix while they continue working on a permanent budget. the focus for republicans is more spending cuts. that is likely where we expect to see a clash at some point. they want to see even deeper cuts than we've already seen. house speaker john boehner says it's the only way to fix our jobs problem in this country. meantime, the nonpartisan congressional budget office is predicting high unemployment continued through 2014 but, this is a big but, a lower deficit, the smallest since president obama's been in office, well under $1 trillion. they attribute that to an improving economy and to the fiscal cliff deal. veronica. >> tracie potts, thank you. a major decision expected from the boy scouts of america. national board members set to vote on whether to lift the

decade long ban on guy leaders and scouts. it comes after a meeting at the texas headquarters. it is a controversial issue from both sides and putting one of the largest youth organizations under a microscope. scouting should be open to everyone. texas governor rick perry expressed the opposite opinion. board members choose to scrap the policy, local scout units will be able to decide for themselves on whether or not to admit gays to the rankings. on the heels of the boy scouts decision, the pentagon is announcing a policy shift for guy service members and partners. leon panetta expected to extend benefits to partners of personnel. it remains doubtful that medical, down theal and housing allowances are offered under the new proposal. an extension of those benefits require the repeal of the 1996 defense of marriage act. here's a first look this morning at your morning dish of

scrambled politics. the president should be used to cameras snapping away at him in the white house. but he read a statement about the economic plan he reacted to the distraction. >> what's up, cameraman? come on, guys. they're breaking my flow all the time. >> the white house released a photo yesterday of the president working with aides on a speech. coincidentally, the chief speechwriter seen on the right is leaving the white house. he's going to be taking his writing skills to hollywood. a new action figure of president obama is on sale showing him with a shotgun. perfect for skeet shooting. dick morris left fox news after an amazing series of wrong predictions. marco rubio give an interview in which he was talking very seriously about

murder wrap stars like biggy small, just like you're wondering, he preferred tupac shakur. >> i think tupac's lyrics are more enciteful. i think his music is better. >> we just thought you should know. that's going to be your morning dish of scrambled politics. bill karins, tupac or biggy. >> tupac. >> i like them both. >> you're so politically correct. that's no fun. >> i know. you're the nice angel. >> don't you see my halo? >> i do. good morning, everyone. let's talk about this upcoming storm. if you're in new england, this is the storm of the winter for you. i'm talking friday, friday night into saturday morning. but first, let's take you into what has to happen for the ingredients to all come together. the moisture is beginning to increase over texas. this is the storm system, the energy that will help form the big nor'easter this friday and

saturday. but this morning you're dealing with rain from san antonio to houston over to new orleans and eventually over the next 48 hours. this will be a soaking rain throughout much of the deep south. great for the drought situation in georgia. could pick up one to two inches in georgia and savannah. then that main moves off the carolinas. then the storm begins to intensify. this is what really caught everyone's attention last night. one of the more reliable long range computers is going blockbuster for heavy snow. let me show you what our computer is showing. here is new york city. this is where the center of the storm s the north side has the colder air and snow. notice the snow goes from philadelphia which is much further south than what we were thinking yesterday all the way northward up through coastal maine. this area of the darker shading, that's a foot plus of snow from almost all of central and southern new england, almost down to new york city. 6 to 12 south of that. almost down to philly. again, this is an estimate for the long term.

this has definitely got our attention. our other long term model brings the equivalent of a powerful nor'easter off cape cod. you get the picture here, veronica. if you have travel plans, we're talking friday afternoon, friday night and saturday from philadelphia up to boston. be prepared for that in case a potential for a big nor'easter with heavy snow. >> all right. we appreciate you watching that. >> more details, of course, tomorrow. we'll be able to pinpoint the snow totals better. a odd couple pairing and a different odd couple in the middle east is making lawmakers very nervous. plus, a video cross the line from training tools to copycat ads? "first look" is back in three minutes. [ mom ] with my little girl, every food is finger food.

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stories making news this morning. president obama is building support for the immigration reform plan. he is meeting with leaders of the white house an they create a guest worker program to allow future immigrants to come to the u.s. legally. the president will make the first visit to israel this

spring for tauctionz that might repair a strained relationship of benjamin netanyahu. the president also is planning to make stops in the west bank in jordan. this is day two of the iranian leader ahmadinejad's visit to egypt. a protester threw a shoe at him. in california, reaction to police stocking a mock massacre in a school to teach students how to stop an attack like the shootings in connecticut. critics say that using fake blood and pretending to kill the shooters is too traumatic so soon after sandy hook. some new york state republican lawmakers want to limit governor andrew cuomo's use of powers to pass the strongest gun control law in the country. stephen mick glock lyn say they object to voting on the bill the same night it was introduced. >> just don't question it. just vote. that's basically the message here. hitler would be proud.

moscow would be proud. that's not democracy. >> the comments were immediately rejected by legislative leaders of both parties and mclaughlin apologized. we have new images from nasa of the spiral galaxy which is only 20 million light years from earth. it is one of the brightest galaxies near us and at its center is a massive black hole. it really is a sight. diet soda may help keep the calories down but it's not going to help you keep sober. drinking diet soda as a mixer with alcohol intensifies the effects of the booze. test subjects who drank the combination were 20% more intoxicated than those who used regular soft drinks. the power struggle between bulls and bears continues, earnings continue to flood the streets. keep an eye on disney today. they beat the street earnings for the end of 2012 and revealed big news for star wars fans. we'll have the details coming up in entertainment. elsewhere after the bell, zynga shot up on strong profit

revenue. they cope with an exodus of online gamers. mexican fast food chain chipotle was higher as they continue to expand. liberty global struck a deal to find britain's virgin media for $23 billion in a move that puts john malone up against rupert murdo murdoch. the fbi arrested 18 thieves on tuesday. they krae ated thousands of fake identities to steel millions of dollars over the last decade. the federal reserve is admitting one of the internal web sites was hacked. this after the group claimed it struck the fed sunday. the central bank says no critical functions were compromised. the state of florida is in hot water with female executives over a $385,000 ad campaigned zipd to attract new business. instead, it is getting slammed for being sexist because the letter i in florida has been replaced with a bright orange men's neck tie. a new study finds wasting

time on the internet at work is more common than you think. researchers at kansas state university claim between 60 and 80% of screen time at the office is spent cyber loafing. the official term for watching cute animals or shopping online at the office. meanwhile, according to a new survey, more and more web users, 61%, report taking breaks from facebook for weeks at a time. the reasons, everything from changing privacy policies to disagreements to too much drama. sports highlights including major upset in college basketball plus drivers came across a bizarre sight in philly and these flames gave a dangerous explosion. under stephens. the verizon share everything plan for small business. get a shareable pool of data... got enough joshua trees? ... on up to 25 devices. so you can spend less time... yea, the golden barrels... managing wireless costs and technology and more time driving your business potential.

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[ male announcer ] life brings obstacles. usaa brings retirement advice. call or visit us online. we're ready to help. learn more with our free usaa retirement guide. call 877-242-usaa. if your a man with low testosterone, you should know that axiron is here. the only underarm treatment for low t. that's right, the one you apply to the underarm. axiron is not for use in women or anyone younger than 18. axiron can transfer to others through direct contact. women, especially those who are or who may become pregnant, and children should avoid contact where axiron is applied as unexpected signs of puberty in children or changes in body hair or increased acne in women may occur. report these signs and symptoms to your doctor if they occur. tell your doctor about all medical conditions and medications. do not use if you have prostate or breast cancer. serious side effects could include increased risk of prostate cancer; worsening prostate symptoms; decreased sperm count; ankle, feet, or body swelling; enlarged or painful breasts; problems breathing while sleeping; and blood clots in the legs.

common side effects include skin redness or irritation where applied, increased red blood cell count, headache, diarrhea, vomiting, and increase in psa. see your doctor, and for a 30-day free trial, go to axiron.com. more than a million people and a trillion dollars in budget cuts could impact us all. scott bland is the senior editor of the national journalist hotline. scott, good morning to you. >> good morning. >> many law makers are silent on where the cuts are going to come from. what are you hearing? >> well, i think part of the reason that a lot of lawmakers are silent on where the cuts are going to come from at some point is that a lot of lawmakers don't know at this point or don't know where and when. part of the problem is that the sequestration questioning issue should have been, you know, were

designed to have been taken care of earlier. and as so often happens with fiscal issues in washington, the dead line got pushed back and pushed back. and now it's pushing into the beginning of president obama's second term legislative agenda which not only democrats but republicans are very interested in terms of immigration and gun control and so on. and so there are more deadlines coming up later. but no one is quite exactly sure whether or not those are going to get pushed back or, you know, when the focus is going to turn off the legislation to them. >> these cuts are expected to affect many agencies, pentagon, department of health and human services. let's talk about the real world implications. are we talking about pos bl sib recession? >> i'm not an economist. i wouldn't want to go out on a limb there. i think looking at the most recent gdp statistics and how,

you know, government spending and defense cuts affected those, that is something that people are worried about. >> scott bland, we appreciate your time this morning. scott, thank you. >> yeah, thank you. >> here's your first look at the other news going on around america now. in washington state, newly released individual dwroe video for back draft. they escaped serious injury by escaping an explosion and embers. in philadelphia now, morning commuters came across a bizarre sight. it may look like serious partying went down with this giant keg. fortunately that, wasn't the case. police say a low overpass knocked the steel tank off a truck hauling it to a scrap yard. in wisconsin, one university added sparkle to the college theer cle cheerleading squad. >> i wanted my dream to become true. >> they added eight area kids with disabilities making it the first college in the nation to join what is called the sparkle effect. it's a nationwide program

created to give disabled kids a shot at cheerleading. finally, a texas rodeo star has been amazing crowds for over 20 years, check out this little guy. his name is whiplash the cowboy monkey. he is a fan favorite. each time he rides into the arena on his trusty canine. his trainer plans to keep the show going as long as people want to see little whiplash ride. moving now to sports, a big upset in college basketball. number two ranked florida faced unrank arkansas who took the early lead and never let up cruising to an easy win. the razorbacks shocking the gators 80-69. in overtime, michigan led by two points and then stopped ohio state from scoring as time ran out. and the wolverines beat the buckeyes 76-74. ryan bronian admits he consulted with a doctor about performance enhancing drugs but it only concerned his appeal of

a drug text. lindsey vaughn crashed at the world championships in austria suffering a broken bone and torn ligaments in her light leg. she is done for the condition but is expected to be back for the 2014 olympics in russia which begin in one year from today. 200,000 people joined in the celebration to welcome home the super bowl champs, the baltimore ravens. and looking ahead to next year's super bowl, the nfl is debufrpging reports that metlife stadium in new jersey wouldn't have a halftime show because the potential for freezing wintry weather. the league's message here, "chill out. pregame and halftime shows in stadium." okay. finally, in the latest viral video, a 2-year-old is a basketball prodigy, shooting the ball any chance he gets. impressive shot after shot. it seems like he always makes the basket. even when he's laying on his back. he scored five in a row. this sun believable. titus and his parents are going to be guested on the "today"

show tomorrow morning. you don't want to miss it. just ahead, the star wars franchise about to go to the hut? and super bowl sunday goes to the dogs. we're going to tell you why. you're watching "first look" on msnbc. [ woman ] ring. ring. progresso.

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the state department announced that john kerry, the newly pinted secretary of state, will sib all official state department tweets with his initials jk. you see the confusion here? just take a look at a few of his tweets, you'll see what i mean. i'm thrilled and honored to uphold the position of secretary

of state, jk. here is the last one. when i sign my tweets with jk, i mean my jam, john kerry. jk. lol. no, i don't. jk. it's so confusing and crazy. >> all right. more entertainment news now. what do people do during the great super bowl blackout of 2013? they switched to the puppy bowl, of course. the football game increased 54% during the power failure helping to make this the biggest year ever. and those of you hoping for a "friends" reunion will get your wish when courtney cox guest stars on matthew perry's "go on" am she'll appear as a potential love interest for perry's character. and did any announced along with a new episode seven, eight and nine, they're planning several stand alone star wars film. get ready. starting in 2015, we're going to have a new star wars film every single year, for better